My People Perish for a Lack of Knowledge (Hosea 4:6)
A point of pride for the church of Christ is that, unlike people in the denominations, its members "know" their Bibles. Reading the Bible, both as a group during worship service and individually at home, is stressed a great deal. Since the Bible is the key to salvation, it behooves us to know it inside and out, forward and backward. And we're always supposed to be able to give "a ready answer" (i.e., quote Scripture) to anyone who questions our faith. So most COCers will read their Bibles diligently, if for no other reason than to fill in the blanks in the Bible class workbooks and not get blindsided when the teacher calls on them to answer a question during class.
Unfortunately, it has been my observation that the average person in the COC doesn't really know the Bible that well in the first place. Most people only read what the preacher tells them to read and have never read the entire book. They ignore the difficult or uncomfortable passages and stick to their tried-and-true proof texts that reassure them that the church of Christ is the one true church.
Furthermore, I would suggest that knowing the Bible and understanding it are two very different things. It's one thing to be able to spout scripture at the drop of a hat, but it's another thing entirely to be able to contemplate the scriptures in quietness, not to answer workbook questions, but as a starting point for meditation on deeper issues. The COC tends to stick to the superficial issues, such as the morality checklists in Paul's epistles, and never delves into anything more substantive, such as the nature of God or the mysteries of grace.
The problem with the way they understand the Bible is the way that they read and interpret the Bible. When the only permissible interpretation is a strictly literal one, then anything deeper is automatically off limits. Even the poetry of the Psalms has to be interpreted in a strictly literal manner. No symbolism or metaphor is allowed. In addition, interpretations are never allowed to change or grow as the person matures and gains life experiences and wisdom. This makes the Bible a static, dead document instead of the Living Word. Thus, the scriptures are robbed of most of their power, and the readers are denied a deeper understanding. The people indeed perish for a lack of knowledge, with a dead book to guide their dead faith and understanding.
Unfortunately, it has been my observation that the average person in the COC doesn't really know the Bible that well in the first place. Most people only read what the preacher tells them to read and have never read the entire book. They ignore the difficult or uncomfortable passages and stick to their tried-and-true proof texts that reassure them that the church of Christ is the one true church.
Furthermore, I would suggest that knowing the Bible and understanding it are two very different things. It's one thing to be able to spout scripture at the drop of a hat, but it's another thing entirely to be able to contemplate the scriptures in quietness, not to answer workbook questions, but as a starting point for meditation on deeper issues. The COC tends to stick to the superficial issues, such as the morality checklists in Paul's epistles, and never delves into anything more substantive, such as the nature of God or the mysteries of grace.
The problem with the way they understand the Bible is the way that they read and interpret the Bible. When the only permissible interpretation is a strictly literal one, then anything deeper is automatically off limits. Even the poetry of the Psalms has to be interpreted in a strictly literal manner. No symbolism or metaphor is allowed. In addition, interpretations are never allowed to change or grow as the person matures and gains life experiences and wisdom. This makes the Bible a static, dead document instead of the Living Word. Thus, the scriptures are robbed of most of their power, and the readers are denied a deeper understanding. The people indeed perish for a lack of knowledge, with a dead book to guide their dead faith and understanding.
Comments
Christ said the when we know the truth, the truth will set us free. So therefore, I continue to search for truth.